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Wayve and Uber Start London's Supervised Autonomous Ride Service

September 4, 2026 at 09:17 EDT

Robotics
Sales & Business

Wayve and Uber began offering supervised autonomous rides in London on September 3, opening the UK's first public autonomous ride-hailing service. The launch keeps a trained, TfL-licensed private-hire driver in the front seat, making it a monitored step toward fully driverless service rather than a no-human robotaxi.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 · LONDON

London's first public autonomous rides

Wayve AI Driver now powers supervised trips booked through Uber, with a trained human still ready at the wheel.

The launch at a glance

licensed vehicles in the initial trial

languages on the rider screen

140,000+

Londoners opted in

Small fleet, visible signal

Each block represents one vehicle in the initial licensed fleet.

vehicles

A controlled start

The service begins with a small fleet while rider demand, readiness and regulation shape the next stage.

How a Wayve ride works

Request

Choose an eligible Uber trip.

→

Match

A Wayve vehicle may be offered.

→

Choose

Accept or switch before arrival.

→

Start

Unlock and begin in the app.

What riders gain — and what remains

Available now

The familiar Uber app and fare structure, with no extra cost.

An interactive screen shows the planned path.

Still supervised

A trained TfL-licensed private-hire driver remains onboard.

Fully driverless operation needs a separate approval path.

Supervised today. Driverless later.

London is a public launch for Wayve AI Driver, but the next step depends on maturing technology, validating safety and securing approval for rides without a human driver.

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